Declaring a climate emergency and Transport for London adverts

Caroline Russell: In light of your welcome declaration of a climate emergency, will you review Transport for London (TfL) advertising rules so that high-carbon products such as flights, are no longer advertised on the TfL estate?

The Mayor: I have set an ambitious target to reach zero carbon and have introduced bold policies like the Ultra Low Emission Zone, cleaning up buses and taxis, and insulating homes to cut carbon emissions in London now. Whilst all sectors of the economy need to transition to low carbon technologies and solution, including transport and buildings, I do not consider the banning of adverts promoting flights as a proportionate or effective measure.
However, I fully recognise that we’re in the midst of a climate emergency. This is why TfL is looking at how it can ensure that its advertising estate is not used by those that have the most detrimental impact on the environment and will keep this under review.

Autism (2)

Andrew Boff: How many police officers have completed autism training (in any form) within the Metropolitan Police and what percentage does that equate to in terms of the total number of officers?

The Mayor: Autism awareness is part of the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP), which every new officer must complete.
Autism awareness also features within the six days of Safeguarding and Vulnerability training that is a key part of the initial recruit foundation course for both Police Constables and Special Constables.
Between April 2017 and May 2019:
The foundation and continuation training both include ‘face-to-face’ learning. The eLearning packages are accessed through the IT system.

Information and Briefings on Police Operations (2)

Andrew Dismore: Taking into account the following story in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/iran-linked-terrorists-caught-stockpiling-explosives-in-london), how do the Metropolitan Police Service make decisions on which politicians should be given briefings on police operations?

The Mayor: In line with long-standing practice, we do not routinely comment on intelligence and security matters.

ATM raids

Shaun Bailey: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, how many ATMs have been raided by criminals?

The Mayor: The data table below includes all offences of theft and burglary, of ATMs, investigated by the MPS.
The MPS have taken the term ‘raided’ to mean all offences where the purpose was to steal monies. Therefore, we have not included offences of criminal damage, arson, etc.
The data does not include non-destructive offences such as transaction reversal fraud, card or cash trapping, etc. which are classified as fraud.
Period covered
Number of offences
July '15 to June '16
94
July '16 to June '17
114
July '17 to June '18
85

Pandrol Vanguard (3)

Tony Devenish: How many complaints have there been from passengers travelling on lines with Pandrol Vanguard?

The Mayor: Resilient track fastenings are installed on the Central, Bakerloo, Northern, Victoria, Jubilee, and Piccadilly lines.
Transport for London has received the following number of complaints regarding in-carriage noise between July 2018 and June 2019:

Schools

Tony Arbour: How many schools in London are located on bus routes in high pollution areas?

The Mayor: According to the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI 2016) and a Department of Education’s list of educational establishments – 455 primary and secondary schools are located in areas where NO2 levels can exceed legal limits at times. All of these schools have bus routes operating close by.
Transport for London (TfL) is committed to cleaning up its own fleets to help address toxic air pollution. To help cut NO2 quickly and significantly, around 80 per cent of the London bus fleet has been brought up to the ultra-clean Euro VI standard, with the rest expected to follow not later than next year. The latest diesel engine and its exhaust system can reduce oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter by up to 95 and 80 per cent respectively. The upgrade programme has been rapidly rolled out because zero-emission buses are only ready for small-scale adoption at the moment and we need immediate action on air quality. Some areas with particularly poor air quality have also been targeted with the launch of 10 Low Emission Bus Zones and the Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
TfL estimates that 52 schools are currently served by routes with pure electric or hydrogen fuel-cell buses. Later this year, a further 18 will gain from the conversion of routes 43, 100, 134 and 214 to electric vehicles and in 2020 another 20 schools will benefit from the electrification of routes 323, C10 and P5.TfL plans to continue, and accelerate, this process so that the entire fleet is zero emission no later than 2037.
Of course, cleaning the bus fleet is only part of the solution here. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced on 8 April 2019, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year, within the same area as the Congestion Charge zone. It is expected to reduce harmful road transport emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 45 per cent. From 25 October 2021 the ULEZ boundary will be extended and I am providing funding to boroughs to introduce local air quality initiatives through my Air Quality Fund.

Sandilands Incident Review Board and Croydon Crash Investigations

Keith Prince: Did the Sandilands Incident Review Board prepare, edit or approve any documents submitted by TfL to RAIB, SNC Lavalin, ORR or British Transport Police Investigations of the Croydon Tram Crash?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/6384. The Sandilands Review Steering Group is an internal working meeting to discuss non-operational issues related to the tragedy at Sandilands, including claims and legal advice. Its purpose is to enable legal advice to be given and relevant information, including updates on progress with the handling of personal injury claims to be considered and discussed.
Documents submitted by Transport for London (TfL) to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), SNC Lavalin, the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) or the British Transport Police were not prepared, edited or approved at the Sandilands Review Steering Group meetings. Comments were separately sought from some members of the Group at various points, but this was not done at the meetings.

E-bikes, E-scooters and Pedestrian Safety

Jennette Arnold: What measures have been put in place to ensure that e-bikes and e-scooters are used in a considerate way that has safety of pedestrians as a paramount concern?

The Mayor: E-scooters are not legal for use on pavements, in cycle lanes or on the road. They can only be used legally on private land with the land owner’s permission.
E-bikes (which are bicycles with a speed restricted electric motor, as opposed to e-scooters where the rider stands on a foot plate and does not pedal) should not be ridden on the pavement, and must be ridden lawfully and in accordance with the highway code, like regular bikes.
Transport for London (TfL) has published a code of practice for dockless bikes and e-bikes. It was developed in collaboration with the boroughs, and sets out what is expected in order to ensure the safe and responsible management of these rental schemes. TfL and London Councils are now developing a new regulatory approach for London, underpinned by a new bye-law. The proposed bye-law is being designed for dockless bicycles and e-bikes and is intended to apply to other micro-mobility services such as e-scooters, if the law were to change. This bye-law will seek to address issues of clutter and obstruction experienced in cities around the world by giving boroughs greater to powers to specify where dockless bikes and other similar items can and cannot be parked.

DLR Trains

Florence Eshalomi: On 12th June 2019 TfL announced that they had, “awarded the contract to build the next generation of DLR trains. Entering service from 2023 the new walk through trains will have improved real-time travel info, air conditioning and mobile charging points”. However, on 17 November 2017 TfL announced the trains would enter service in 2022. Can you explain why they will be delayed for 1 year?

The Mayor: I amhugely excited by the prospect of new trains running on the DLR. As you would expect with a complex programme such as this, there is a balance to be stuck between delivery speed and the importance of achieving the right solution. The delivery schedule for the new trains was therefore adjusted to match that agreed with the selected bidder.

Sandilands Incident Review Board (1)

Keith Prince: Who was the Chair of the Sandilands Incident Review Board?

The Mayor: The Sandilands Incident Review Board is chaired by Transport for London’s General Counsel.

Sandilands Incident Review Board (2)

Keith Prince: Please send me a timeline of decisions made by Sandilands Incident Review Board?

The Mayor: The Sandilands Review Steering Group is an internal working meeting to discuss non-operational issues related to the tragedy at Sandilands, including claims and legal advice. Its purpose is to enable legal advice to be given, and relevant information, including updates on progress with the handling of personal injury claims, to be considered and discussed. The role of the meeting was not to make decisions. Accordingly, no “timeline of decisions” exists. Please also see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/6384.

Speaking out against Anti-Social behaviour

Jennette Arnold: In a recent incident on the tube a teenage constituent was sexually harassed whilst other passengers on the train looked the other way. What is being done to encourage Londoners to speak out against anti-social behaviour and to intervene to support victims when acts like this take place?

The Mayor: I am committed to a zero-tolerance approach wherever sexual violence and abuse takes place, with meaningful support for victims and survivors and significant consequences for perpetrators. My VAWG strategy, backed by a record £44 million investment up to 2020, commits MOPAC to delivering workstreams to challenge harmful attitudes to VAWG. The MPS’ #ITSNOTOK campaign encourages anyone suffering or aware of sexual violence or abuse to have the courage and confidence to report it to police. No-one should have to suffer sexual violence and abuse.
I recognise the terrible impact that anti-social behaviour can have. MOPAC are in contact with the British Transport Police to explore the possibility to include ASB data from Transport for London on the online dashboard. The MPS’ media campaigns regularly emphasis the public’s role in fighting crime through reporting.

Sandilands Incident Review Board and TfL's HSE Director's Role in Croydon Tram Investigations

Keith Prince: Did the Sandilands Incident Review Board review, edit or approve any documents or decisions made by TfL's HSE Director in relation to the RAIB, SNC-Lavalin, ORR or British Transport Police Investigations of the Croydon Tram Crash?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/6384. The Sandilands Review Steering Group is an internal working meeting to discuss non-operational issues related to the tragedy at Sandilands, including claims and legal advice. Its purpose is to enable legal advice to be given and relevant information, including updates on progress with the handling of personal injury claims, to be considered and discussed. Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/12314 regarding documents submitted by Transport for London (TfL) to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), SNC-Lavalin, the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) or British Transport Police.
Decisions made by TfL’s HSE Director in relation to the RAIB, SNC Lavalin, ORR or the British Transport Police investigations were not reviewed, edited or approved at the Sandilands Review Board meetings. Comments were sought separately from some members of the Group at various points, but this was not done at the meetings.

Minutes/Decisions of the Sandilands Incident Review Board

Keith Prince: Please provide me with the Correspondence/Attendance/Agendas/Minutes/Decisions of the Sandilands Incident Review Board for the following dates:
14th November 2016, 17th November 2016, 23rd November 2016, 28th November 2016, 22nd May 2017, 5th June 2017, 19th June 2017, 3rd July 2017, 17th July 2017, 31st July 2017, 14th August 2017, 29th August 2017, 11th September 2017, 25th September 2017

The Mayor: The Sandilands Review Steering Group is an internal working meeting to discuss non-operational issues related to the tragedy at Sandilands, including claims and legal advice. Its purpose is to enable legal advice to be given and relevant information, including updates on progress with the handling of personal injury claims, to be considered and discussed.
The documents requested contain or refer to legally privileged advice and relate directly to the seeking, provision and result of legal advice. Transport for London (TfL) has published its response to a similar request made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI Act) (reference FOI-3281-1819) which explained that, in accordance with the FOI Act, TfL is not obliged to supply the information as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 42 of the FOI Act.
Please also see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/6384.

National Referral Mechanism and the Metropolitan Police Service

Unmesh Desai: How many potential victims of modern-day slavery did the Metropolitan Police Service refer to the National Referral Mechanism in 2018?

The Mayor: In 2018, the Metropolitan Police Service referred 263 victims to the National Referral Mechanism. This is a 48.5 per centincrease from the number of referrals made in 2017. There are also additional police referrals jointly made with other first responders such as Local Authorities. These rereferrals may not appear as an MPS referral in the figures published by the National Crime Agency

Conditions of work for private hire drivers

Caroline Pidgeon: In response to a motion passed by the London Assembly on the 8th March 2017 on Uber and workers’ rights you stated: “I am also exploring what more I can do to protect workers’ rights through the powers in my possession.” Two years on from making such a statement what has been the outcome of exploration of this issue?

The Mayor: The contractual arrangements between private hire drivers and who they choose to work for, including their pay and working conditions, is not within the control of licensing authorities, including Transport for London. However, I have been clear that I believe urgent action needs to be taken to improve working conditions, such as driver pay, health and hours worked.
In the absence of Government action to address this issue by making changes on a national scale, I have tasked my team at City Hall with exploring options for promoting good work in the various industries within the gig economy in London, including private hire. This could create more transparency for people and, in a private hire context, provide drivers with information on which operator is the best fit for their needs and lifestyle. At the same time, a scheme could incentivise private hire operators to improve conditions for their drivers, in order to remain competitive.

Metropolitan Police and Fast Track Entry

Peter Whittle: To ask the Mayor how many graduates have so far been recruited by the Metropolitan Police for entry to its ‘fast-track’ programme at inspector level?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) internal fast-track scheme does not require officers to have a level 6 qualification (e.g. degree).
However, there is an external recruitment pathway known as the ‘Direct Entry Inspector’ programme that does require a degree level qualification.
Since 2014, the MPS has recruited 12 Direct Entry Inspectors.

Fare Evasion

David Kurten: Fare evasion seems to be getting worse on the London Underground and by the time revenue inspectors catch up with the offenders, the penalty of £80, or £40 if paid within 14 days, is well worth the risk to them. However, carrying an open container of alcohol on the underground has a maximum penalty of £1,000, albeit never enforced. Would you consider raising the penalty fare to create a much stronger deterrent for fare evaders?

The Mayor: Fare evasion on Transport for London (TfL) services remains low. TfL takes fare evasion extremely seriously and is determined to tackle this issue.
People caught fare evading can be charged a penalty fare of £80 (reduced to £40 when paid within 21 days). However, those who repeatedly evade fares or commit more serious offences are prosecuted, which can result in a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000, as detailed in their enforcement policy.
Fare evasion on TfL services is lower than other global cities and its penalty fare amount is in line with others. TfL is not planning to raise the level at this time.

TFL NDAs

Susan Hall: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, how many Non-Disclosure Agreements have been signed by staff leaving TFL?

The Mayor: Transport for London” (TfL) does not use stand-alone non-disclosure agreements, but there are non-disclosure clauses in TfL’s standard Settlement Agreement, which is used when additional terms (above statutory redundancy pay) are agreed on exit.
The non-disclosure clauses do not prevent the employee from disclosing details to their professional adviser, spouse or partner (or as may be required for legal reasons) and do not prevent whistleblowing.
As a result of TfL’s ongoing Transformation programme, 848 Settlement Agreements were entered into in 2016/17, 704 were entered into in 2017/18 and 475 such agreements were entered into in 2018/19. (The 2018/19 figure is subject to the outcome of public inspection and TfL Board Approval of TfL's Annual Accounts on the 24 July 2019.)

Cuckooing

Susan Hall: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, please can you provide the number of ‘cuckooing’ instances that have been detected by the Met police? (This is where someone takes over the home of another, likely vulnerable person, for criminal intent e.g. drug dealing)

The Mayor: “Cuckooing” is a form of criminal exploitation in which a child and/or a vulnerable adult is exploited by drug dealers taking over the home for their criminal intent. It is likely to co-exist with further criminal activity and exploitation, such as county lines. Drug dealing causes tremendous damage to communities, further intensified when young and vulnerable people are exploited in the process. The MPS responds swiftly and robustly to any such instances in London, taking action to safeguard the vulnerable individual(s) and bring the exploiters to justice through the relevant legislation.
Understanding of the scale and complexity of criminal exploitation in all its form remains ongoing both in London and nationally. While reports of “cuckooing” are likely to instigate a criminal investigation and safeguarding referral, the term itself is not flagged within the crime reporting system and, as such, the MPS does not hold the data requested.

Pandrol Vanguard (4)

Tony Devenish: How many train drivers have complained about excess noise on lines with Pandrol Vanguard?

The Mayor: Although Transport for London (TfL) do not have a record of the amount of individual train drivers who have complained about in-carriage noise, London Underground’s Head of Track has met with Trade Union representatives on a number of occasions to discuss their concerns. While hearing protection has been offered to those who want it, TfL are committed to tackling this issue at source.
TfL regularly monitors noise levels of the Tube to ensure it remains below the limits set out by the Health & Safety Executive. TfL also carries out work on the Tube network to mitigate noise, including replacing and repairing rails. TfL is also trialling methods of reducing in-carriage noise, including under-rail pads, and a rail damping system, at priority sites.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (9)

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide the total number of incidents of crime on the London Underground South of the river over the last year and a breakdown by type of crime?

The Mayor: The below table shows the number of recorded crimes on the London Underground south of the river during 2018/19.
It is important to note that there are 21 boroughs north of the river, compared to 12 boroughs south of the river. As the transport infrastructure (number of stations and London Underground lines) and passenger volumes are very different, it is not possible to make direct comparisons between levels of crime in north and south London.
London Underground remains a safe, low crime network, with very few people ever witnessing or experiencing crime. In 2018/19 there were 11.7 crimes recorded for every million passenger journeys made.
Recorded crimes on the London Underground network 2018/19 – South London
Crime type
Number of recorded offences
Violence against the person
455
Sexual offences
185
Criminal damage
101
Line of route
3
Theft of passenger property
895
Motor vehicle/cycle offences
26
Robbery
14
Theft of railway property/burglary
35
Serious pubic order
327
Serious fraud
11
Drugs
59
Other
14
Total
2125

Absence of side sun blinds on the New Routemaster buses

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that the New Routemaster buses do not have a side sun blind to protect drivers from the sun in the offside of a driver’s cab. Will you ensure TfL fully investigates this issue and if necessary ensures all operators retrofit side sun blinds?

The Mayor: The vast majority of buses in the London fleet do not have offside sun blinds - particularly double deck vehicles like New Routemasters. Transport for London (TfL) regularly meets with its bus operators and with bus driver unions, and is not aware of this having been raised as a particular concern. If such concerns arise, they should be raised in the first instance by bus driver representatives with their respective operating companies. If this has already happened and not been satisfactorily addressed, bus driver representatives can raise the issue with TfL via the formal engagement channels. TfL can then take up the issue as part of its regular engineering discussions with its bus operators.

Increase in Sexual offences with an online element

Unmesh Desai: How is the Metropolitan Police Service changing the way it operates to deal with the increase in digital communication and data created by an increase in sexual offences with an online element?

The Mayor: The Met is investing considerably in expanding and reviewing its capability in this area, as well as associated officer training. Examples include:

28 July 2017 Email from First Group Tram Operations Limited Head of Safety to TfL Director of Trams about Fatigue Audit IA 17 780

Caroline Pidgeon: In the package of documents you sent to me in your response to MQT 2019/0149, there is a 28 July 2017 email from First Group Transport Operations Limited’s Head of Safety to TfL’s Director of London Trams where it is stated “at the end of the audit, TOL was given verbally a provisional conclusion of “generally well controlled.” Who gave First Group TOL that “verbal” conclusion?

The Mayor: I understand that Transport for London (TfL) does not agree that a verbal provisional conclusion of “generally well controlled” was given.
TfL’s Internal Audit processes do not include giving verbal provisional conclusions and TfL has no record of any such provisional conclusion having been given. The Internal Audit Report “Management of Fatigue in Tram Operations Limited” sets out areas of effective control with regard to Tram Operations Limited’s Fatigue Risk Management System and also detailed findings of areas for potential improvement.

Autism (3)

Andrew Boff: How many police officers have completed face-to-face autism training within the Metropolitan Police and what percentage does that equate to in terms of the total number of officers?

The Mayor: Please see the answers to Mayor's Question 2019/12278 and Mayor's Question 2019/12279.

Policing on the TfL Network

Florence Eshalomi: Can you update the table contained in MQ2017/4481 with the actual figures for 2017/18, 2018/19 and expected figures for 2019/20?

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of officers funded by Transport for London in 2017/18 to 2019/20 broken down by police force - British Transport Police (BTP), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and City of London Police (CoLP).
Rank
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
BTP
Police Officer
760
760.6
760*
PCSOs
100
100
100*
Police Staff
154.9
162
154.9
MPS
Police Officer
936
936
936
PCSOs
564
564
564
Police Staff
69
74
75
CoLP
Police Office
26.2
27.2
26.2
PCSOs
0
0
0
Police Staff
3
4
3
*These figures are accurate to September 2019. The BTP has confirmed that it is no longer providing enhanced policing services of neighbourhood teams for London’s surface rail network, including London Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway and London Trams. The funding arrangements for these 160 officers (125 Police Officers and 35 PCSOs) will be met through core policing charges to the Train Operating Companies.

Private Hire (3)

Keith Prince: In the past year how many complaints has TFL received from members of the public regarding private hire drivers cancelling or not fulfilling operator accepted journeys? How many of these complaints relate to the private hire operator Uber London Ltd?

The Mayor: TfL records customer complaint data about taxi and private hire services under a number of categories. However, the very specific instance of a private hire driver cancelling or not fulfilling a journey that have been accepted by private hire operators is not one of these categories.
The majority of private hire customer complaints would ordinarily be directed to the private hire operator in the first instance, meaning that many will not come to TfL’s attention.

London Overground services between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction

Caroline Pidgeon: Will sufficient rolling stock be available to introduce the planned 12-minute frequency London Overground peak service between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction in the December 2019 timetable?

The Mayor: Transport for London currently expects that sufficient rolling stock will be available to introduce the planned 12 minute frequency London Overground peak service between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction in the December 2019 timetable. This is subject to there being no further delays to the rolling stock delivery programme, which could affect the planned introduction of this enhancement.

Term of Reference for Internal Audit "Competence and Fitness of Tram Operations Limited (TOL) Tram Operators“ (IA 13 744) dated 2 July 2014

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the documentation you provided in your response to Question 2018/1314please provide me with a copy of any initiating memorandum, selection of auditor and all documentation associated with the field work on Fatigue Audit IA13 744conducted on 18th June 2014.

The Mayor: Attached is the auditletter of engagement and audit programme for IA 13 744. The audit programme is a working document and any highlighted text would have been made by the auditor as a note or reminder when writing the report. The audit formed part of Transport for London’s Health, Safety & Environment and Technical Audit Programme for 2013/2014.Audit work is allocated by the team manager to the auditor on the basis of business priority and resource availability. The letter of engagement provides the record of who will undertake the audit.The auditor was requested to commence an audit on or about 12 March 2014.

Injured police officers

Susan Hall: For each of the years July 16 to June 17, July 17 to June 18 and July 18 to June 19, how many police officers have been:
. Injured
. Seriously injured
. Required hospital treatment
. Attacked/assaulted
. Injured as a result of an attack
. Seriously injured as a result of an attack
. Required hospital treatment as a result of an attack

The Mayor: The data available with respect to officers on duty are those where the assault is noted on the Crime Reporting Information System (CRIS).
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is unable to state where officers have attended hospital without checking individual CRIS records.

Harrow & Wealdstone Station – Gatwick Service

Navin Shah: Has the Mayor had any discussions with Network Rail regarding the potential for re-opening the Harrow & Wealdstone to Gatwick service?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) understands from the Train Operating Company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), that there is no capacity available for this service on either of the lines south of East Croydon without taking away some other existing service. There is also insufficient capacity for this service to terminate at Gatwick Airport. Customers wishing to make this journey can take the existing service between Harrow & Wealdstone and East Croydon, changing step-free there for frequent Gatwick Airport services. Alternative routes are also available via Euston and Victoria.

Harrow & Wealdstone Station – Overground Trains (2)

Navin Shah: Given that Wealdstone has ‘Opportunity Area’ designation incorporating major regeneration of the former Kodak site, has the Mayor had any conversations with Rail Service providers to increase the numbers of trains that stop at Harrow and Wealdstone station? This will also help enhance vital linkage with Wembley Central, which is another ‘Opportunity Area’, providing access to more jobs and homes.

The Mayor: The platforms at Harrow and Wealdstone are located on the busy West Coast Main Line, meaning that every additional call uses up disproportionately more track capacity. Transport for London has been in touch with the train operator, London Northwestern Railway, and it has confirmed that any extra stops added in at Harrow and Wealdstone could lead to a reduction in frequency at stations further from London where it is the main or only service calling there.
However, six Bakerloo line and currently three, soon to be four London Overground trains per hour link Harrow and Wealdstone with Wembley Central, continuing on to the West End and Euston respectively. These services have sufficient capacity to accommodate the forecast growth in these areas.

North vs South of the River Public Transport (7)

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide the total number of incidents of crime on the London Underground North of the river over the last year and a breakdown by type of crime?

The Mayor: The below table shows the number of recorded crimes on the London Underground north of the river during 2018/19.
It is important to note that there are 21 boroughs north of the river, compared to 12 boroughs south of the river. As the transport infrastructure (number of stations and London Underground lines) and passenger volumes are very different, it is not possible to make direct comparisons between levels of crime in north and south London.
London Underground remains a safe, low crime network, with very few people ever witnessing or experiencing crime. In 2018/19 there were 11.7 crimes recorded for every million passenger journeys made.
Recorded crimes on the London Underground network 2018/19 – North London
Crime type
Number of recorded offences
Violence against the person
2801
Sexual offences
1004
Criminal damage
717
Line of route
40
Theft of passenger property
5879
Motor vehicle/cycle offences
326
Robbery
185
Theft of railway property/burglary
170
Serious pubic order
2006
Serious fraud
105
Drugs
294
Other
120
Total
13647

SSHR Panel Chair’s Request for IA 17 780 to be sent to RAIB, SNC-Lavalin, ORR, BTP and Coroner

Keith Prince: In your response to Question 2018/1969 you state "I understand that the Chair of the SSHR Panel asked for the audit report to be sent at the 28/9/17 and 22/11/17 SSHR Panel meetings and requested confirmation that it had been sent at the 22/1/18 SSHR Panel meeting.” Please provide me with all the evidence relating to the 28/9/17 and 22/11/17 Panel Meetings you consulted to make that statement.

The Mayor: This statement is based on the recollection of the then Chair of the SSHR Panel. The minutes of the Panel’s meetings on 28 September 2017, 22 November 2017 or 22 January 2018 do not record these requests being made.

Sandilands Incident Review Board (3)

Keith Prince: In your response to Question 2019/6384 you stated the Sandilands Incident Review Board "did not have a terms of reference", you did not provide meeting minutes, attendance lists, or names of attendees. Do think it's acceptable to be so un-transparent about TfL's organisational response to the worst tram incident in 90 years?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been very transparent and has published the measures that it has taken and continues to take in response to the tragedy at Sandilands on the TfL website. TfL has also shared the outcome and findings of the investigations across its operations to ensure the lessons from Sandilands are learnt more widely.
The Sandilands Review Steering Group is an internal working meeting to discuss non-operational issues related to the tragedy at Sandilands, including claims and legal advice. Its purpose is to enable legal advice to be given and relevant information, including updates on progress with the handling of personal injury claims, to be considered and discussed. It will always be necessary for an organisation to have internal discussions on a matter of such significance.

Strand Aldwych scheme

Caroline Russell: Westminster Council’s proposed scheme for Aldwych and the Strand has been heavily criticised by cycle campaigners for failing to cater to increasing levels of cycling. What actions are you and Transport for London (TfL) taking to ensure that this major redevelopment of wide roads and major junctions includes suitable provision for cycling?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has contributed to the development and evaluation of this project, which has recently completed public consultation. TfL supports the scheme’s objectives, and feels the project has the potential to provide significant Healthy Streets benefits in what should be a new, world-class public space that reflects The Strand’s status as a leading cultural, leisure and educational destination.
However, while some improvements have been made for people cycling, significantly better provision is required, in particular on Aldwych to improve the important link between Kingsway and Waterloo Bridge. This point was made in TfL’s response to Westminster’s consultation and TfL will continue to press Westminster to improve the design of this scheme for people cycling.

Croydon Tram Crash Investigation: Communication between Director of HSE & MD Surface Transport (9 November 2016 to present)

Keith Prince: Further to the internal TfL correspondence you released to me in your response to Question 2018/2658, for the period 9 November 2016 to the present, please provide copies of all correspondence between TfL's Director of Health Safety Environment and TfL's Managing Director of Surface Transport on the subject of the Sandilands Tram Crash.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is responding to therequest made under the FOI Act in the same terms. I will ask TfL to let you know when it is to be published.

999 response times

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide the average Metropolitan Police response times for 999 calls categorised as (i) I grade, (ii) S grade (iii) E grade and (iv) R grade for both the months of May and June 2019. Please provide a breakdown per borough.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data for the specified period. Please read the notes section of the data sheet to fully understand the information that has been provided. Also take into consideration the outliers specified within the data table and their overall effect on the average times recorded.

Taxi and Private Hire Trade (8)

David Kurten: A recent FOI from Cambridge City Council reveals that the licensing officer told UBER: PH Vehicles should be parked up in places where they could not be accused of plying for hire. Can the Mayor give examples of where a "parked up" PH Vehicle could be accused of plying for hire?

The Mayor: Decisions on whether a vehicle is plying for hire depend on the particular circumstances of the individual case and the High Court’s judgment of 7 February 2019 (pleasesee the attachedAppendix) illustrates the complexity of the law in this area and the range of factors to be considered.
As outlined in Mayor’s Question 2019/14248, I have repeatedly called for a statutory definition of “plying for hire” and “pre-booked” services to remove any ambiguity and clearly define the difference between taxi and private hire services. I welcome the support of the Assembly in lobbying Government on this matter.

World Heritage Sites

Tony Devenish: Will you instruct the LFB to undertake a full review post the Notre-Dame fire to ensure our world heritage sites would never suffer such total devastation?

The Mayor: The London Fire Brigade (LFB) fire safety inspection programme includes working with heritage sites across London. The fire safety team includes heritage protection experts who work with museums, art galleries and buildings of historic importance. A heritage co-ordinator works with operators of heritage sites, such as English Heritage and Royal Palaces, to assist and support them. This includes reviewing their emergency plans, salvage plans and out of hours response plans. Emergency response to heritage sites is also actively practiced through exercises which take place at key sites such as the Tower of London, St Paul’s and Guildhall.
Since the Notre-Dame fire, LFB has written to heritage sites across London with detailed guidance on important issues such as identifyingitems of historical value, prioritising items to be removed first and knowing how to remove them safely. This has been shared with Historic England for online distribution and inclusion in specialist heritage publications and is on the LFB website.

Borough Integrated Gangs Units

Jennette Arnold: Please provide a current list of all the Boroughs in London with an active Gangs Unit in the Borough. Please provide the number and rank of the officers in each unit.

The Mayor: There are 11 London boroughs with an active Integrated Gangs Unit. Staffing for these units is not fixed at any rank. These include: